Production Glossary
Mastering
Mastering is a process that is performed in the post-production phase of audio recording. This step develops and moves the final mix of recorded material onto a master copy, from which all duplications of the material are made. Mastering is a very specific and intricate skill that is performed by a mastering engineer.In the beginning days of audio recording, mastering was not an individual step in the recording process. All elements of recording were carried out mechanically, or electro-mechanically, as the audio was performed live, in-studio, by an artist. The end result was a record that had been produced in real time. The advent of the magnetic tape drastically altered the recording process. Tape made it possible to record audio and then edit and improve the recording quality afterwards. It was during this era of recording (1950s to 80s) that mastering became an esteemed skill due to the multiple frequency alterations, amplitude changes, and mixing that was required to produce a quality record.
The digital technology of the 1990s saw audio being recorded to Digital Tape and HDDs to later be copied onto CDs. Mastering engineers also began to utilize the DAW (digital audio workstation). While most mastering is now performed digitally, there are some mastering engineers who specialize in analog methods.
